Ambiguity over KYC forms confuse LPG consumers in Rajasthan

DNA|Oct 23, 2012, 06:01AM IST

Jaipur: The ‘know your client’ (KYC) forms were introduced to make things easier for the gas companies. But now, these forms are making life difficult for the consumers.

Presently, KYC forms are not available with the gas agencies. People have been told to fill the forms if they need their connections to run properly. So the consumers are going everyday to gas agencies or calling them up enquiring if they have the KYC forms available with them.

Om Prakash Thadani, a Malviya Nagar resident, said, “I have been enquiring about KYC form daily but it’s not available with the agency. I was asked to fill it at the earliest, failing which, they said, my connection will be blocked.”

People are baffled as there is no clarity over the number of KYC forms they have to fill if they have more than one connection. Most agencies are not able to clarify people’s doubts over this issue.

Gas companies had asked agencies to get KYC forms filled from every customer with details like PAN card, driving licence number and other information so that their connections could be scrutinised and the data shared with other oil firms.

If a person doesn’t fill the KYC form, his connection could be blocked and so each consumer has been asked by the gas agencies to fill the KYC forms. But the non-availability of the KYC forms is troubling them.

A manager of a gas agency said, “We don’t have sufficient KYC forms. So we are getting them photocopied.”

Shishir Kumar, territory manager of Bharat Gas, said, “A prominent gas company has hinted that due to the problem of insufficient KYC forms, gas companies are now thinking of making the KYC forms mandatory only for multiple connection holders and not for those who have only one connection.”

He further said, “We are thinking of asking only multiple connection holders to fill KYC forms. Single connection holders need not worry.”